The Sisters Festival, or Valentine’s Day for the
Miao ethnic minority
in Taijiang County, southwest China’s Guizhou province, kicked off to
the sound of Lusheng, a reed-pipe wind instrument, and drumbeats on
April 5, 2012.
 |
| Girls dressed up at Miao Ethnic Sisters Festival |
The three-day fest used to be a dating occasion for young Miao people
to find their Mr. or Mrs. Right, but now it is celebrated by more than
just hopeful singles.
Wu Li, 34, is a mother of two kids, but she is also very excited
about the festival in Taijiang county and got up at 5 a.m. to put on
make-up and get ready for the parade.
“Our ethnic costumes and the silver accessories on the head weigh
over 5 kgs, but they look so beautiful and I have fun dancing in them,”
Wu said.
Besides the parade, the Sisters Meal is a must during the festival.
Young women make flower-shaped rice dumplings with keepsakes wrapped
inside and serve them to the men they like, as the dumplings are shaped
like flowers, so the festival is also known as the “Festival hidden in
Flowers.”
 |
| Colorful Sister Meal - a must for the festival |
Taijiang county is home to 159,000 people, of which the Miao account
for 98 percent. For Miao people, the Sisters Festival is one of the most
active festivals, and held annually from the 15th to 17th day of the
third lunar month. In the festival, young lads and girls sing gentle
love songs with soft emotion. It offers a good chance for them to meet
and begin their courtship. Girls, who are the center of the festival,
would invite their sweet hearts to eat Sister Rice. Also, there are
other traditional activities, including canoeing contest, dragon dance,
horse racing, and bullfighting.
 |
| Miao girls would serve Sister Meal to the men she likes. |
(Source from Xinhua)
No comments:
Post a Comment